[Sardino]

I like to work out at night before I go out because it gets me energized and feeling more confident. I wonder if there are any negative health effects from chugging a bunch of beer an hour after I just had a workout. Obviously for maximum health I shouldn't be drinking beer, but am I doing a lot of damage to my body by not giving more time between working out and drinking?

[chefedemaquina]

http://www.bodybuildingpro.com/drinkbeerworkout.html http://www.clevelandleader.com/node/3467

I always thought beer was nutritious.

[canucktraveller]

Drinking a beer or 2 after a work out is fine (and might even benefit you) Arnie supposedly would have a couple after workouts.


But getting trashed after a workout is a bad idea for a number of reasons

[Aliblahba]

I drink a lot less when in a solid workout program. I feel guilty kicking my own ass in the gym, then going out and getting fucked up that night. At one time I was training for a triathlon. Even going out 1 night and getting boogered up would set my training back.

[Gmac]

I went out drinking last Halloween the night before running the Marine Corps Marathon. Bad idea, that's all I've got to say. Later led to my Brazilian flag though...

[Aliblahba]

(10-28-2011 12:27 PM)Gmac Wrote:  

I went out drinking last Halloween the night before running the Marine Corps Marathon. Bad idea, that's all I've got to say. Later led to my Brazilian flag though...

When I was in the Corps we'd drink and party all night, get 1 hr sleep, then go run 6 miles. They'd put us in the back of the formation cuz we reeked of booze. I'd die now if I had to run still drunk the next morning.

Respect to you Gmac for running marathons.

[Frost]

Unconventional approach to be sure, but I think drinking after a workout is ideal. Couple of quotes from an old post:

http://www.freedomtwentyfive.com/2011/02...alcoholic/

3) Workout before you booze
There’s no better time to hit the gym than right before a big night out. For one thing, you’ll look and feel fresh, but more importantly, you’ll clean out the last glucose from your bloodstream. Better still, you’ll be a cheaper drunk than the 100-pound girl who snuck a mickey into her prom, which means less total alcohol/mixer for your body to deal with.


So what does this look like in practice? let me run down a typical weekend for me:

Thursday, 9pm: Hearty paleo dinner, capping off a stellar 5 days of exercise and primal eating

Friday: Skip lunch, do not eat all day. Intense workout of pushups, pullups, jump-squats and yoga at 6pm. Feel light-headed occasionally, but fasting-induced hunger seems to result in more energy (although less strength). Enter semi-meditative state of release from earthly desires while stretching and cooling down.

7pm: Short nap, shower

9pm: Meet friends at a party. Drink three beers and feel like I’ve had eight.

11pm: Go to a bar. Shots! Nurse 2-4 vodka waters all night. More shots!

Between 3-5am: A giant feast of whatever food I want, kicking off my weekly “cheat day.”

Saturday, 11am: Gigantic mostly-paleo breakfast, but will eat french toast or waffles if I want. Cheat day officially ends Saturday night.

Saturday night: Take it easy and return immediately to a paleo lifestyle. Or, go out and do it all over again, hence why I do not look like an underwear model, but merely like a guy who girls will sleep with for free.

Sunday, late-AM: Yoga class or long walk. Reflect on sins and indiscretions of a weekend past, and general emptiness of modern life. Slide comfortably and eagerly back into a healthy routine.

It’s not ideal. It’s not even pretty. But if you’re not ready to take a more adult approach to alcohol and drinking, that’s how you can minimize the damage.

Addendum: Martin Berkhan has some great info here.

[Frost]

The major downside of drinking from a fitness perspective is that it decreases your testosterone. This is an especially big concern if you're trying to get big. If that's the case, probably better to time your binge drinking as far away from your gym sessions as possible.

If you're leaning out, and you're going to be drinking some nights regardless, better to schedule workouts right before bingeing.

Check out the links to Martin Berkhan and Mark Sisson in the post though.